Bailey Library Hosts African American Legislators Exhibit

CONWAY,
Ark. (February 20, 2014) – The Olin C. Bailey Library at Hendrix College will
host Arkansas African
American Legislators, 1868-1893, a free traveling exhibit produced by the
Arkansas History Commission and Black History Commission of Arkansas. The
exhibit will be displayed on the first floor of Bailey Library from February 24
- March 24 during hours the library is open.

Arkansas African American
Legislators, 1868-1893 tells the story of the 85 African Americans who served in
the Arkansas General Assembly in the 19th century. After the Civil
War, Arkansas adopted a new constitution in 1868 and its provisions included
the right to vote and hold public office for black males. African American
lawyers, merchants, ministers, educators, farmers, and other professionals
served in the Arkansas General Assembly. Photographs of 46 of the 85 legislators
are an integral part of the display. Also featured is a complete listing of the
legislators and a short history of post-Civil War and election law “reforms”
that effectively ended African Americans election to legislative positions
until the 1970s.

The
mission of the Black History Commission of Arkansas is to collect black
historical materials for the Arkansas History Commission; to encourage research
in Arkansas black history; and to cooperate with the Arkansas Department of
Education in the development of African American historical materials for use
in public schools. The BHCA produces exhibits, hosts seminars, offers free
educational material on African American history, and administers the Curtis H.
Sykes Memorial Grant Program to fund projects related to African American history
in Arkansas. Founded in 1905, the Arkansas History Commission is the official
state archives, dedicated to collecting and preserving the documentary history
of Arkansas. To learn more about the
Arkansas History Commission and the Black History Commission of Arkansas visit www.arkives.com.

For
more information about the exhibit at Bailey Library, contact Library Director Britt
Anne Murphy at 501-450-1288 or murphyb@hendrix.edu.

Founded
in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and
sciences education. For the sixth consecutive year, Hendrix was named one of
the country’s “Up and Coming” liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix
is featured in the latest edition of Colleges That
Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges, as well as the
2014 Princeton Review’s The Best 378 Colleges,
Forbes magazine's list of
America's Top Colleges, and
the 2014 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United
Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.